H 3929

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 3929
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
Committee Report
April 30, 2025
H. 3929
Introduced
by Reps. King and J. L. Johnson
S. Printed 4/30/25--H.
Read the first time February 6, 2025
________
The committee on House Judiciary
To whom was referred a Bill (H. 3929) to amend
the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 24-3-990 so as to provide the
Department of Corrections may maintain canteens at all prisons or institutions,
etc., respectfully
Report:
That they have duly and carefully considered
the same, and recommend that the same do pass:
W. NEWTON for Committee.
statement of estimated fiscal impact
Explanation of Fiscal Impact
State Expenditure
This bill provides that Corrections may
maintain canteens at all prisons or institutions under its jurisdiction.  These
canteens will offer to incarcerated persons the sale of such items as
toiletries, snacks, notions, and other sundries.  Corrections must provide
staffing for each canteen and must limit prices to no more than a 20 percent
markup over what is paid to the vendor of the commodities to be sold.  Currently,
the revenue that is generated by the canteen division is kept by Corrections in
a separate earmarked fund.  The bill also requires each prison or institution
with a canteen to prepare an annual statement of operations.  In addition, the
bill requires the LAC to conduct a biennial audit of canteen operations.
Corrections and the LAC report this bill
will have no expenditure impact because any increase in workload will be
managed with existing staff and appropriations.
State
Revenue
Corrections reports that it currently operates
21 canteens across facilities statewide.  The markup on the commodities sold at
the canteens is 45 percent.  The revenue from the canteens must cover all
operating costs, as the canteen program is completely a revenue-funded
enterprise.  This bill caps the markup at a maximum of 20 percent, which would
result in an estimated revenue loss of $921,000 annually for Corrections.  Per
Proviso 65.1 of the FY 2024-25 appropriations act, the canteen program must be
treated as an enterprise fund within the agency and cannot be subsidized by
state-appropriated funds.
Frank A. Rainwater, Executive Director
Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office
_______
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
24-3-990 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS MAY MAINTAIN CANTEENS
AT ALL PRISONS OR INSTITUTIONS UNDER ITS JURISDICTION THAT MUST BE SUBJECT TO AUDITS
BIENNIALLY.
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  Article 9, Chapter 3, Title 24 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:
    Section
24-3-990.  (A) The department may
maintain a canteen at all active prisons or institutions under its jurisdiction
for the sale to incarcerated persons of toilet articles, candy, notions, and
other sundries, and shall provide the necessary facilities, equipment,
personnel, and merchandise for the canteen. The director shall specify what
commodities shall be sold in the canteen. The sale prices of the articles
offered for sale shall not exceed a twenty percent mark-up above the amount
paid to the vendors.
    (B)
The department shall undertake to insure against damage or loss of canteen and
handicraft materials, supplies, and equipment owned by the department.
    (C)
The canteen operations at any prison or institution referred to in this section
shall be audited biennially by the Legislative Audit Council, and at the end of
each intervening fiscal year, each prison or institution shall prepare a
statement of operations. At least one copy of any audit report or statement of
operations shall be posted at the canteen and at least one copy shall be
available to incarcerated persons at the library of each prison or institution.
SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on April 30, 2025 at 08:53 PM